Thursday, April 06, 2006

Where is the money going?

For the next few days, I will be posting what the projected costs are to run a school in House District 25.

Many of you know that I advocated the decentralized school system because 80% of the money goes into the classroom.

So I will start with North Star Elementary School.

Enrollment is projected at 381 students with 16 teachers, one P.E teacher, one music teacher and .60 for an art teacher.

The figures I am using are from the ASD and are available on their web-site.

The cost per student is $12,000.00. The cost to operate the school is projected at $2,296,450.00. This is for everything from salaries to TERS and PERS, to the pencils, books and paper. Everything to include the heating, lighting and refuse.

The generated income that is earmarked for the school is $4,576,000.00.

Math is in session here.

$4,576,000.00-$2,296,450.00---------------$2,279,550.00not going into the classroom

So where is the rest of the money going?

Next,

Northwood Elementary School has a projected enrollment of 335 students. At $12,000.00 per student, the money earmarked for the school is $4,020,000.00. 14 full time teachers, 0.8 P.E. teacher, 0.8 music teacher, 0.40 art teacher.

$4,020,000.00-$1,962,382.00 costs to run the school---------------$2,057,618.00 not going into the classroom

So where is the rest of the money going?

Willowcrest Elementary School has a projected enrollment of 364 students. At $12,000.00 per student, the money earmarked for the school is $4,368,000.00. 15 full time teachers, 1 P.E. teacher, 0.9 music teacher, 0.50 art teacher.

$4,368,000.00-$2,068,636.00 costs to run the school---------------$2,299,364.00 not going into the classroom

So where is the rest of the money going?

Stellar school has a projected enrollment of 272 students. At $12,000.00 per student, the money earmarked for the school is $3,264,000.00. 11.30 teachers, 0.20 technology teacher, 0.40 reading, 1 nurse.

$3,264,000.00-$1,546,521.00 costs to run the school---------------$1,717,479.00 not going into the classroom

So where is the rest of the money going?

Central Middle School of Science has a projected enrollment of 646 students. At $12,000.00 per student, the money earmarked for the school is $7,752,000. 34.1 teachers, 0.5 technology teacher, 1.0 reading teacher, 1 nurse, 1 librarian, 2.6 counselors.

$7,752,000.00-$3,902,699.00 costs to run the school----------------- $3,849,301.00 not going into the classroom

So where is the rest of the money going?

What stands out is less than half of the money generated for the school budget makes its way into the classroom. The ASD states that 8.77% of the budget is spent on pupil transportation and operations and maintenence.

So you have about 49% of the money going to these schools and then 8.77% of the budget covering the costs of transportation and maintenance.

That is a total 57.77% of the school budget going to running the school, transporting the kids and maintaining the schools. Add another 13% for debt reimbursement and 2.3% for food services, then you have 73% of the budget going to the total package to run a school in the ASD.

That leaves about $165,000,000.00 dollars that are not going into the operation, maintenance and construction of our schools. Guess who is paying for that? Property owners, renters and businesses.

The State of Alaska, the federal government and "other" than the city, contribute together, 68.64% of the school budget that goes to the running of the school.

So where is the rest of the money going?

It is not that the school district is short on money, it is how the money is spent.

I stated that the State of Alaska and the federal government could fully fund the education system, but it can only be done under a decentralized system. Next time you look at your taxes, see how much you pay in property taxes. Then under a decentralized system, think what it would be like to have that tax burden taken from you.